Review: Helicopter Eela

Overall Review:
Helicopter Eela, directed by Pradeep Sarkar is based on a Gujarati play ‘Beta, Kaagdo’. Film stars Kajol along with Riddhi Sen, Neha Dhupia and Tota Roy Choudhury in pivotal roles. It revolves around Kajol as single mother to a son, and someone who aspires to fulfill her dream of completing education and pursuing music. The first half focuses on Eela’s back story of how she was a gifted singer and her love-drenched life with Vivan’s father. It also showcases best of 90’s indie-pop music playing in background. It infuses a dose of nostalgia, recreating the aura of college going days. Watch out for Shaan, Illa Arun, Baba Sehgal, Anu Malik, Mahesh Bhatt – who are all part of Eela’s journey as a singer, which is short-lived. The film’s pace in pre-interval portion is little slow and weak but its second half that picks the pace. The conflict between the mother and son reaches a breaking point and it’s engaging to watch them navigate those tricky terrains. But what lets the movie down is the simplistic manner in which the movie explores the life of a single mother. Even at the climax, it’s unclear what Eela did for a living to make her ends meet. Helicopter Eela belongs to Kajol, who dominates every frame of the film. Her portrayal of a single mom’s love for her only child is convincing, enduring and deserves applause. The actress gives a solid performance which will salvage an insipid narrative. She occupies most of the screen space and demands your attention. Riddhi Sen (National award-winning actor ) as Vivaan is natural and gives a restrained performance. Neha Dhupia is just about fine. Zakir Hussain is wasted. Pradeep Sarkar’s direction is bad and leaves a lot to be desired. Writing and screenplay by Mitesh Shah and Anand Gandhi are all over the place. The music fails to leave an impact, Cinematography is strictly OK and editing is choppy. Technically film falls flat and seems inconsistent at times. In spite of choppy editing and unconvincing story-line / direction, Helicopter Eela is a pleasant watch for its powerful cast and Kajol’s performance.

PDF Verdict:
Thanks to Second in command captain KAJOL for making Helicopter Eela’s 131 Minutes bumpy ride a little soothing despite strong turbulence. Its her persona, screen presence and acting chops make this film a pleasant watch.